Researchers to Use New Method for Extracting Polyols from PU Foam Mattresses

Researchers from Aarhus University together with partners from industry, have now proven that simple chemistry can do more than just extract important raw materials from polyurethane foam, the most important component can also be reused again and again in new mattresses.

Back in 2022, researchers from Aarhus University announced a new and inexpensive way of breaking down polyurethane (PU) plastic into its original components, which can then be recycled into new PU material instead of ending up in landfills or incinerators.

Pushing Society towards Circular Economy

Together with Plixxent A/S, Dan-Foam Aps and the Danish Technological Institute as part of the Danish RePURpose consortium, the same researchers have proven that the method can be used to tackle flexible foam polyurethane.

They have broken down approx. one-and-a-half kilos of foam mattress, extracted its main components and used one of them, polyol, as a raw material in a new piece of mattress. By replacing "fresh" polyol, which is primarily produced from crude oil, with polyol extracted from the old mattress, the researchers have replaced 64 per cent of the mattress, without impairing quality in any way.

This takes us a step further towards a circular economy for flexible PU foam. And it is desperately needed. The vast majority of global PU waste is deposited in landfills because it is difficult to recycle. PU cannot be melted, and for this reason it is not possible to simply mold it into new products like many other plastics.

The global market for PU was 24.7 million tons in 2021, and it is expected to exceed 29 million tons by 2029. The flexible PU foam used in mattresses accounts for about 30 per cent of the market. PU is not only used in mattresses; it is a group of advanced plastic materials with many different properties and even more applications. It is also used in furniture, refrigerators, shoes, toys, paints, fillers, insulation, cars, wind turbines, aircraft and much more.

The method developed and patented by the chemists at Aarhus University is called solvolysis and breaks down the chemical bonds in PU by putting the material in a sort of pressure cooker with hot tert-amyl alcohol and a little caustic potash. However, the researchers do not expect that this process can be used for the entire PU market. The different types of PU are too different.

"Our technique can push society towards a circular economy for PU mattresses. But if recycling is to put an end to landfilling and incineration, industry and society need full control of waste streams. The problem is that each manufacturer of PU-based materials has its own unique recipe

Source: Aarhus University/specialchem

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#polyols #pu #mattresses #plastics #incineration #recycling #waste #solvolysis